>S 635 
Z9 
1887 
Jopy 1 



Women's Kingdom 



OR 



THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE 



(A FARCE) 



For Presentation by Rebekah Lodges 



WRITTTEN AND ARRANGED BY 

W. E. COVERT 

GARDEN CITY, KANSAS 



The Women's Kingdom 



OR 



THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE 

(A FARCE) 



For Presentation by Rebekah Lodges 



DEDICATED TO 

PROGRESSIVE REBEKAH LODGE 

NO. 550. 






COPYRIGHTED 1916 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 



/ 



JUN20I9I6 

TMP92-008945 

UD 44190 



THE 

WOMEN'S KINGDOM 

(Part I.) 

QUEEN: — "Royal Inside Sentry you will please 
ascertain from the Royal Outside Sentry 
whether there are any people from foreign 
nations desiring to become subjects of our 
Kingdom and you will return and report at 
once." 

(Sentry advances to center and gives sign, 
then retires; she then returns to center and 
gives sign.) 

R. I. S.— "Your Royal Highness, the Royal Out- 
side Sentry reports two strange and frightful 
women, dressed in the garb of their nation, 
who are seeking admission within our walls." 

QUEEN: — "Did you learn whether they can speak 
our language or not?" 

R. i. s.— " I did Your Highness. The Royal Out- 
side Sentry informs me that they are proficient 
in our language." 

QUEEN — "Did you ascertain their purpose in be- 
coming citizens with us and subjects of this 
throne?" 

R. I. S. — "I did not, Your Royal Highness." 



THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM. 



QUEEN — "Royal Guide you may retire and proper- 
ly robe these strangers and conduct them into 
my presence. The Royal Caretaker will please 
assist the Royal Guide." 

(Part II) 

Alarm sounded 5 raps. 

R. I. S. — "Who are you and what do you want?" 

R. G. — "Royal Guide with two strange women." 

R. I. S. — (From center) "Queen, the Royal Guide 
with two strange women." 

QUEEN — "Whence come they and what is then 
mission ?" 

R. I. S. — "Whence come you and what is your mis- 
sion?" 

R. G. — "From and their 

mission is to escape from man." 

R. I. S. — "From and they wish 

to escape from man." 

QUEEN — "A noble mission, admit them." 

R. G. — "Queen I found these women at the outer 
gate pleading for admission and protection." 

QUEEN — "Strangers, you are a sight to behold 
and before you can proceed farther I must ask 
you your age, and whether you are married or 
single" 



THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE 



R. G. — "They are each over twenty-one and taken 
separately are single." 

QUEEN — "Royal Guide conduct these strangers to 
the Queen-in-waiting for obligation." 

R. G. — "Queen-in-waiting by the instruction of our 
Queen I present these women for obligation." 

Q. W. — "By permission of the Queen and the ladies 
of this Kingdom, you have been permitted to 
enter our borders and to partake of our hos- 
pitality. Before you can proceed farther you 
must take a solemn pledge. You will place 
your right hands on your left hips, pronounce 
your names in full and repeat after me." 

(Here the R. G. should say, "Queen these ladies 
have a bad cold and with your permission the 
Royal Caretaker and I will repeat for them") 

"I do solemnly promise that 

I will conceal and never reveal the name of my 
last lover; that I will forsake and never o'er- 
take him; that I will produce and quickly re- 
duce all past letters, that in anyway relate to 
love or hate; and should I find him I will bind 
him and assist in throwing him out of this 
Kingdom. To all this I faithfully promise." 
Royal Guide, you may conduct these queer 
women to our Queen for instructions." 

R. G. — "Queen, by direction of our Queen-in-wait- 
ing, I present these women for instruction." 

QUEEN — "My sisters, in this Kingdom there is an 
alarm sounded when strangers are seen. The 



THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM 



Royal Guards and Detectives report your ac- 
tions and conduct and if satisfied that your mis- 
sion is friendly, then you will be admitted. 
When once within our Kingdom you become a 
subject and are at orice taught the many duties 
which we as women must perform. The bed- 
time stories of childhood now become the 
realities of life and you are to court the friend- 
ship of the birds and animals of the forest. 
You are to retire at 8 o'clock and arise at 4:30. 
and that you may learn real independence, you 
will cut and carry your own firewood; plant 
and hoe your own garden; and kill and dress 
your own hogs and other animals. 

"I will now instruct you in some of the mys- 
teries of this Kingdom. The alarm at the outer 
door is one rattle of the latch or one kick of the 
heel of your shoe. The alarm at the inner door 
is 5 long, loud raps. 

"Snoring is always prohibited, and you will be 
required to wear a snap clothespin on your nose 
when you retire for the night. 

"You must never use a hot iron to curl your 
hair but instead the kid curlers or a rag must 
be used. 

"You are never to talk in your sleep or tell of 
your dreams, for fear you may become super- 
stitious. 

"The pass-word is KNOWLEDGE, and 



THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE 



is to be lettered when used to enter the King- 
dom. In giving this word you must give the 
letters N-O, and if that is not sufficient you 
must give the rest of the word L-E-G-S letter- 
ed as before, this will admit you. 

"The sign is made as follows: Bend both knees 
quickly and at the same time, and at the proper 
time look the Queen in the face. 

"The Recognition Sign is faking a Stiff Knee.. 

"Should a stranger approach you and desire to 
be recognized as a subject of this Kingdom, she 
will approach you walking with one stiff knee. 
The Sister observing this sign shall answer the 
same by approaching the Sister who made the 
sign, she also walking with one stiff knee, and 
shall ask "are you looking for a man?" and the 
Sister who made the sign shall answer "not 
yet." The Royal Guide and the Royal Care- 
taker will now exemplify the sign of Recogni- 
tion, the Royal Caretaker acting as challenging 
Sister. 

"Royal Guide, you may conduct the sisters to 
our Chaplain for admonition and spiritual in- 
struction, for they will need it." 

R. G.— "Worthy Chaplain, by direction of the Queen 
I present these sisters for admonition and 
spiritual instruction and she says they need it." 

CHAP. — "You have been trusted and honored by 
being admitted into these most sacred moun- 
tains where only women of courage and a 



THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM 



taste for the beautiful are permitted to enter. 
It is my duty now to warn you against gossip 
or frivolous speech and to tell you that the 
name of man is to be banished from your 
thoughts. No word, act or thought of yours 
must ever suggest that such a creature lives 
on earth and should you so far depart from 
this admonition as to dream that you are walk- 
ing with one; then may the hoop-skirt ccme 
in fashion and the God of the wind cause you 
to soar on high and vanish from our sight, 
now and forever. This Kingdom is of women, 
by women and for women and our amusements 
consists of quilting parties, Sunday schools and 
Pink Teas and we admonish you to be quiet in 
speech, strong in good works and short on 
promises. 

"Some of our lessons are taught by emblems 
and I will now call a few of our sisters just to 
show ycu that everybody works but Father." 

TABLEAUX 

The Chaplain from her station calls out the fol- 
lowing sisters who advance to center of floor and 
face V. G. (Candidates being seated in front of V. 
G.) R. S. S. and L. S. S.; R. S. N.G.; R. S. V. G,; 
L. S. N. G.; L. S. V. G.; Warden; I. G.; O. G. and 
Conductor, each in costume to represent their part 
and which they have had placed at their station 
before the degree is commenced and which they 
can put en quickly when the lights are dimmed. 



THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE 



The Chaplain uses their first names and they ad- 
vance to center and pose while the Chaplain gives 
her lines, then form in large circle as they retire 
from pose. (A red light adds to the effect) 

CHAP.— "EMMA and LUCY, our Royal Guards; 
brave soldiers of the Realm, they never sleep 
but are always looking for Little Bopeep." 

"LAURA, our Royal Butcher, who can fell an 
ox with one blow." 

"MINNIE, our Royal Carpenter, who can climb 
a ladder when she sees a mouse." 

"CATHERINE, our Royal Gardener, who kills 
weeds and performs noble deeds." 

"ALICE, our Royal Sexton, who feels so sad 
when we are bad." 

"MARY, our Royal Forester, who can fell a 
tree or whip all who may need it." 

"GRACE, our Royal Baker, who uses only 
Royal Baking Powder." 

"MABEL, our Royal Chambermaid, we always 
remember her in our prayers and we earnestly 
pray that she may soon learn to make a bed." 

(All march in circle, Guards leading, then to 
V. G. turn left and go once around room and 
then to stations). 

CHAP.— "Oh, I have forgotten one; NINA, our 
Rcyal Milkmaid, who loves her Jerseys." 



10 THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM 

(When her name is called the milkmaid should 
skip once around the room, to quick music and 
then pose at center before being introduced. 
After being introduced she may call "Co boss, 
Co boss, Co bossy," (then imitate trying to 
milk the cow.) "So bossy, So, So, (then fall as 
though the cow had kicked her, the guards rush 
up and one screams and says to the other: 
"run for the nurse." She returns with Chap- 
lain who now has a red cross on her arm. As 
Chaplain approaches the milkmaid raises on one 
elbow and says: "Is this me or not me; or has 
the Devil got me; was that a cannon shot me; 
have I lain here more than a week. That 
heifer kicks amazing; the beast was spoiled in 
raising; and now I'll bet she is grazing on the 
other side of the creek." Chaplain ministers 
by using bandages, &c, and takes Guide to 
her station, then the lights are restored.) 

CHAP. — "Royal Guide and Royal Caretaker con- 
duct these women to our Queen-Dowager for 
further advice." 

R. G. — "Queen-Dowager, our Royal Chaplain thinks 
you should give these women some advice." 

Q. D. — "With honest pride I welcome you to this 
station and congratulate you on the progress 
you have made. Ycu are now on the threshhold 
of real happiness. We forget not the courage 
it tcok for you to renounce the world in gen- 
eral and man in particular. Pause and reflect. 
In the beginning God created man and then 
when he saw what he had made, he changed 



THE .\EW REBEKAH DEGREE 11 



his plans and made woman. By seme means 
man escaped and has been running loose ever 
since, and to escape his evil influences we are 
here in this secluded spot where no man may- 
enter. 

"Just think of our freedom ; we acknowledge 
no bess; we take orders from no one; and "when 
we work or when we play we do it in an honor- 
ed way." May your sojourn with us be pleasant 
and as you approach the sun-set of life may 
you realize that your lives have been well 
spent in the labors of freedom for those of 
your sex and not for man. And now as you 
approach the Queen and receive her final mes- 
sags, please remember that I ence occupied her 
exalted station and that no man dictated to me. 
May you both receive her blessings. 

"Royal Guide, conduct the strangers to our 
Queen that she may pass final judgment on 
them." 

R. G. — "Queen, by order of the Queen-Dowager I 
present these ladies for final judgment." 

QUEEN — "My Sisters ycu have been watched dur- 
ing your journey through our Kingdom and 
your conduct has been above reproach. I am 
now about to pass final judgment on you. 
Temptations have been thrown about you of 
which you were not informed. We have tested 
you and find that you do not suck eggs, eat 
olives or associate with or appear like the Gib- 



12 THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM 

son Girls. Therefore we hereby absorb you 
into this Kingdom of Women with fear and ap- 
prehension that you might forget our rules 
and thus bring upon yourselves the disgrace 
of deportation and death at last. Ee honest, 
be true and so live that no man can accuse you 
of being either polite or good looking and if 
perchance a man should see you or hear your 
voice or mine, we must dispatch him at once. 
And now in the name of the women of our 
Kingdom I welcome you as Sisters of this 
Realm. Royal Guide and Caretaker you will 
now remove their traveling robes and put on 
them the robes of the Kingdom. 

GRAND FINALE 



THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE 13 



INSTRUCTIONS 



Costumes are white dresses and pink and green 
capes and the properties are 2 air guns for the 
Guards, meat saw for R. S. N. G.; hammer and 
saw for R. S. V. G.; garden hoe for L. S. N. G. 
spade for L. S. V. G.; ax for Warden; rolling pin 
and cap for I. G.; dust pan and broom for 0. G.; 
milk pail and costume for milkmaid. 

The candidates should be two men who can be 
thoroughly disguised as stylish ladies and they 
may answer questions and repeat the V. G. obliga- 
tion if they can use the falsetto voice. 

A stand should be provided on which is placed a 
dish of eggs and some olives. This stand will be 
placed before the candidates by the Guide and 
Caretaker just before the Chaplain's charge and 
these officers will then resume their stations. 

It is important that the Guide and Caretaker 
learn to walk with stiff knee when exemplifying 
the Recognition Sign. 

The sign used in addressing the Queen is a drop 
courtesy and the knees should bend much. 

The Grand Finale will be more effective if when 
the candidates hats are removed by the Guide and 
Caretaker. The Queen screams: "Oh an imposter. 
Put them out" at which the ladies all rush in and 
chase the candidates around the room an^ the 



THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM 



guards should act as though they were trying to 
head them off at the door but fail a time or two as 
the procession must go around the room two or 
three times. This should have spirited and fast 



CASTE. 

N. G. — Queen; 

V. G. — Queen-in-Waiting; 

P. G. — Queen Dowager; 

Chaplain; 

R. S. N. G. R. S. Q. 

L. S. N. G. L. S. Q. 

R. S. V. G. R. S. Q-in-W; 

L. S. V G. L. S. Q-in-W. 

Warden — Royal Caretaker 

Conductor — Rcyal Guide 

Sentries are called The Royal Inside and Outside 
Sentries and they are the Guardians and the 
scene Supporters are the Royal Guards and De- 
tectives and they should meet the candidates at the 
door and follow then through all the work as though 
they mistrusted them. 

The Royal Guide and the Rcyal Caretaker each 
take a candidate; the R. G. and her candidate lead- 
ing, the Caretaker and candidate next and the de- 
tectives last in the degree marching, and when they 
line up before any station the candidates should be 
in center, R. G. at right and Caretaker at left of 
candidates and the detectives at ends; this makes 
it necessary for one detective to pass behind the 
line for her position before the R. G. introduces 



THE .NEW REBEKAH DEGREE 15 



the candidates. 

DRILL 
Number the staff as follows: N. G. No. 1; V. G. 
No. 2; R. S. N. G. 3; R. S. V. G. 4; L. S. N. G. 5; L. 
S. V. G. 6; Warden, 7; R. S. 8; Con., 9; L. S. S. 10; 
Chap., 11; P. G., 12; I. G., 13; O. G., 14. Odd num- 
bers wear the pink capes and the even numbers the 
green. 

Line up in the above order outside and march in, 
keeping about 4 feet apart. March twice around 
the room and to P. G. station, (turning square cor- 
ners) then form spiral; come out of spiral and form 
the square again. Leave square at V. G. and single 
to N. G.; pink right and green left to V. G.. Double 
file to N. G.; same order again to V. G. and form 
"I" as follows: 1 and 2 leading abreast, others 
single, 13 and 14 abreast and when letter is formed, 
stop at siagtoG single to left from N. G. to V. G. and 
form "O" between V. G. and Center, stop at 
signal; then form u O" between N. G. and Center; 
single from N. G. left to V. G. and form "F" five 
abreast and balance single except No. 10 who steps 
out beside No. 9. 

Double file right at N. G. to Chap, and then right 
to center then all go to stations. 



